Monday, May 5, 2014

Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey

Teeling is a new Irish Whiskey company started by Jack Teeling, formerly of the Cooley Distillery. Like many new American companies, they are bottling sourced whiskey (from Cooley according to Shanken) while they plan their own distillery in Dublin. Just released in the US, the Teeling Small Batch Whiskey is a no age statement blended Irish Whiskey finished for six months Flor de Caña rum casks.

Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey, [bottled Jan. 2014] 46% abv ($40)

The nose is light and grassy. The palate starts malty then turns sweet with a touch of fruit before fading into a pleasant finish, both sweet and grainy. This is a very light whiskey (or "delicate," as the marketing department might say). It doesn't have a lot of complexity, but it's very drinkable. I could certainly see reaching for it in the hot months to come when the LA heat makes me want something a bit lighter.